President Trump’s pick to temporarily run the nation’s intelligence community didn’t wait for his official start date, and his first moves are raising eyebrows. CNN reports that Bill Pulte showed up at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Thursday, a day early, after requesting a full staff roster so he could evaluate who should be dismissed, with sources saying he’s considering cutting hundreds of positions. Pulte—a Trump ally with no intelligence background who’ll also keep his job leading the Federal Housing Finance Agency—reportedly spent the day meeting with lawyers and employees and asking about his security clearance, access to a government plane, and a protective detail.
In an earlier briefing, Pulte asked if he could take home the highly classified President’s Daily Brief, according to one source; another source disputed that context, saying the brief is delivered electronically. Pulte’s rapid rise and direct line to Trump have unsettled some Republicans as well as Democrats, who worry he’ll use the role to investigate Trump’s claims of election fraud. The New York Times has deemed Pulte a “bulldog for Trump,” while others have called him “Little Trump,” per a 2025 report in the Wall Street Journal. With turmoil surrounding the stalled nomination of permanent pick Jay Clayton, Pulte could stay in the acting role longer than expected.
